Research Provides Insight Into Trap-Jaw Ant Larval Development

Image provided via Eduardo Fox,  Daniel Solis,  Adrian Smith and Joshua Gibson. 

Research published in the Myrmecological News journal has provided new insight into the larval developmental stages of trap-jaw ants, Entomology Today reported.

The study, conducted by scientists at North Carolina State University andthe North Carolina Museum of Natural Science, South China Agricultural University, Sao Paulo State University and University of Illinois, revealed that several species of trap-jaw ants in their larval stage develop "sticky doorknobs" that allows the larvae to stick to walls and ceilings in the nest. The scientists also discovered that trap-jaw ants have three larval development stages. 

Images obtained from an electron microscope used in the study can be viewed here. 

Entomology today reported that “while there are nearly 16,000 described species of ants, less than half of 1 percent of those have had their developmental stages, from egg to adult, described.” Thus, the discovery of the number of larval stages is significant because in many species of ants that number is unknown. 

Read more about the study at www.entomologytoday.org, or at Myrmecological News.